Hearing set for possible sentencing in former bus driver sex case

Tuesday

Oct 2, 2012 at 3:15 AM

By Samantha Allen sallen@fosters.com

DOVER — Strafford County Attorney Tom Velardi said at a status conference in Strafford County Superior Court on Monday the state continues to wait for developments at the federal level in the prosecution of a former bus driver who stands accused of molesting young disabled minors while aboard his bus with Provider Services.

In early September, John Allen Wright pleaded guilty in federal court to six counts of sexual exploitation. Wright, 46, previously of 52A Charles St. in Milton, was arrested on Sept. 1, 2011, following an approximate seven-month long investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force into the man's felonious activity.

The task force works to identify suspects trading and possessing images of child pornography through online file sharing networks.

On Monday, Wright did not go before the judge for a formal hearing and all legal matters were discussed privately at the bench, according to the court clerk.

Velardi told Foster's Monday morning it has been more than nine months since Wright's pretrial hearings began, which means he has passed the opportunity to request a "speedy trial." From here, a hearing date has been set for Dec. 20 in U.S. District Court in Concord, with possible sentencing on the docket.

U.S. Attorney John Kacavas previously stated Wright could face up to 160 years of imprisonment for his crimes.

Another status conference for has been scheduled for Jan. 1, 2013, at Strafford County Superior Court in Dover. Velardi previously said if the sentencing is severe enough at the federal level, though, there may be no need to pursue the case further on the state's behalf.

Wright was a Seacoast bus driver to families with special needs children in Dover and Kittery, Maine, before his arrest. He was charged in September of that year with three counts of felonious sexual assault against the unidentified victims, who reportedly live in both New Hampshire and Maine, as well as approximately 20 other counts, including indecent exposure and lewdness.

The investigation into Wright, which began in February 2011, led to a search warrant for Wright's home last year, where computers and peripherals were seized which reportedly contained thousands of graphic assault images.

Investigators concluded Wright used hidden cameras in pens and sunglasses to record students aboard his bus, while he was sexually assaulting them. These activities also occurred when he was transporting children for Provider Services. Among the files, investigators found several videos depicting Wright sexually assaulting three young disabled boys who were passengers aboard his school bus, operated by Provider Bus Services.